Fast content search tool built on ripgrep. Works with any codebase size.
- Searches within configured allowed directories only
- Paths can be relative to allowed directories; paths outside will be rejected
- Searches file contents using regular expressions
- Supports full regex syntax (e.g., "log.*Error", "function\\s+\\w+")
- Filter files by pattern with the `include` parameter (e.g., "*.rs", "*.{ts,tsx}")
- Returns file paths, line numbers, and matching content sorted by modification time (newest first)
- Use this tool when you need to find files containing specific patterns
- When you are doing an open-ended search that may require multiple rounds of globbing and grepping, use the Task tool instead
IMPORTANT: ALWAYS use Grep for search tasks. NEVER invoke `grep` or `rg` as a Bash command. The Grep tool has been optimized for correct permissions and access.
### Parameters
- `pattern`: Regex pattern to search for in file contents (required)
- `path`: Directory path to search in - can be relative or absolute within allowed directories (required)
- `include`: Optional file glob filter (e.g., "*.rs", "*.{ts,tsx}")
- `limit`: Maximum number of matches to return (default: 100, max: 2000)
### Pattern Syntax Notes (ripgrep-based)
- Literal braces need escaping: use `interface\\{\\}` to find `interface{}` in Go code
- Use `\\b` for word boundaries: `\\bfoo\\b` matches "foo" but not "foobar"
- Use `\\s` for whitespace, `\\w` for word characters
- Use `.*` for any characters: `error.*failed` matches "error: connection failed"
- Use `|` for alternation: `TODO|FIXME` matches either
- Patterns match within single lines only; multiline patterns are not supported
### When to Use This Tool
- Finding function definitions: `fn\\s+process_`
- Finding usages of a variable or function: `\\bmy_function\\(`
- Finding TODO comments: `TODO|FIXME|HACK`
- Finding error messages: `error.*failed`
- Finding imports: `^use\\s+`
### When NOT to Use This Tool
- Finding files by name - use Glob instead
- Reading entire file contents - use Read instead
- Complex multi-step research - use Task tool instead
### Examples
Find all function definitions:
```
pattern: "fn\\s+\\w+"
path: "."
include: "*.rs"
```
Find TODO comments:
```
pattern: "TODO|FIXME"
path: "."
```
Find usage of a specific function:
```
pattern: "\\bprocess_request\\("
path: "src"
```
Find error handling patterns:
```
pattern: "Err\\(|Error::"
path: "."
include: "*.rs"
limit: 50
```
### Best Practices
1. You can call multiple tools in a single response. It is always better to speculatively perform multiple searches in parallel if they are potentially useful.
2. Use the `include` parameter to narrow searches to relevant file types
3. Use word boundaries (`\\b`) to avoid partial matches
4. Escape special regex characters when searching for literal text
5. Start with broader patterns and refine based on results
6. Use `limit` parameter if you expect many matches but only need a sample
7. Paths outside allowed directories will be rejected